1) keep a record. if you have an iPhone [or other smartphone with apps] download myfitnesspal. it’s completely free and lets you log your food and exercise. you set a goal and it will tell you how many calories/carbs/protein you have left for the day. you can also track your weight, measurements, and nutrition there. you can use it online, too. i just prefer the app because i just pull my phone out at mealtimes and log so i don’t forget. if you prefer to be lo-tech, feel free to just keep a paper and pencil diary. (:

2) drink water. and lots of it. drink a glass about every 45 minutes. if you’re in school like me, carry a water bottle everywhere. refill it at water fountains and before you leave the dorm. also, PEE BEFORE EVERY CLASS so you don’t piss your professor off by leaving. the fuller your stomach is from liquid, the less you’ll eat. tea also works here if you want to change it up. i drink unsweetened ice tea at lunch and dinner usually.

3) step up your activity. it sounds cheesy, but every little bit counts. walking the long way to class or to your car, picking up the pace, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a walk or a bike ride, playing DDR, having a dance party (even alone): all these things help increase the amount of calories you burn.

4) work out. if you’re lucky enough to go to a school with a free gym, utilize it. you pay for it in your fees, so go! take a a textbook and read it while you run. two birds with one stone! if you don’t go to a gym, do jumping jacks at home. or crunches. or run in place. there are tons of workouts that do not require equipment. you can do it.

5) control yourself. when you go out to eat, be choosy. if you go to a fast food place, order off of the kids menu. the portions are smaller. then eat either your side or your main course. for example, if you get a burger and fries, only eat the fries, then use the burger as a second meal later. i do this all the time. it isn’t ideal, but it keeps you from eating all of that at once and you don’t waste food. if you’re at a sit down restaurant, eat 1/2 or 1/3 of what they give you. restaurants have HUGE portions. get a to go box and make a couple more meals out of what you only paid once for. (:

6) when you want to snack, drink water. when you feel like eating something, go get a glass of water and drink all of it. all of it. sometimes two glasses. wait 30 minutes. if you’re still hungry after 30 minutes, eat something small, like a bowl of oatmeal or a can of tuna.